System and method for performing a quasi-cash transaction

• US 20040173673A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Payments, Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cash Systems Incorporated (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Potts, Craig K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,951,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A system and method of performing a quasi-cash transaction for a customer including receiving a desired transaction dollar amount. A State identification card issued to the customer is electronically processed to retrieve machine readable information. Customer identification information is electronically parsed from the retrieved machine readable information. Quasi-cash document information is electronically generated utilizing the desired dollar amount and at least a portion of the parsed customer identification information. A quasi-cash document is printed, with the quasi-cash document including and displaying the generated quasi-cash document information. In one preferred embodiment, customer identification information parsed from the retrieved machine readable information includes customer name, customer address and identification card number information.

Claims

1. A method of performing a quasi-cash transaction for a customer, the method comprising:

receiving information from the customer relating to a desired transaction dollar amount;

electronically processing a State identification card issued to the customer to retrieve machine readable information stored on the State identification card;

electronically parsing customer identification information from the retrieved machine readable information;

electronically generating quasi-cash document information utilizing the desired dollar amount and at least a portion of the electronically parsed customer identification information; and

printing a quasi-cash document that displays the generated quasi-cash document information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically processing the State identification card includes:

determining whether the State identification card includes machine readable information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically processing the State identification card includes determining whether the machine readable information is in a known format.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further includes:

providing a database of a plurality of State identification card machine readable information formats each having a state code identifier; and

further wherein determining whether the machine readable information is in a known format includes comparing a state code identifier of the machine readable information with the database.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

prompting manual entry of customer information when the machine readable format is not in a known format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the State identification card machine readable information includes determining a format of the machine readable information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the machine readable information is stored on the State identification card in a plurality of tracks, including a first track having a first track data stream, and further wherein determining a format of the machine readable information includes:

extracting a state code identifier from the first track data stream,; and

designating a format of the machine readable information based upon the extracted state code identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises providing a database maintaining a listing of state code identifiers and associated formatting information, and further wherein determining a format of the machine readable information includes:

matching the extracted state code identifier with a state code identifier in the database; and

designating the format associated with the matched state identifier in the database as the machine readable information format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein for at least one of the state code identifiers in the database, a plurality of versions are provided each having an associated format, and further wherein determining a format of the machine readable information includes:

determining whether the extracted state code identifier corresponds with a state code identifier in the database having a plurality of versions;

determining a version of the State identification, card based upon the machine readable information; and

matching the extracted state code identifier and the determined version with a state code identifier and version provided by the database.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein extracting a state code identifier includes:

identifying a sentinel in the first track data stream; and

identifying the state code identifier based upon the identified sentinel.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the machine readable information is stored on the State identification card in a plurality of tracks including a first track having a first track data stream, and further wherein parsing the customer identification information includes:

identifying positions of sentinels and delimiters in the first track data stream;

comparing the identified sentinel and delimiter positions within the first track data stream with the determined format; and

identifying customer name information in the first track data stream based upon the comparison.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying customer name information includes identifying an ordering of name components in the first track data stream based upon the determined format.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically parsing customer identification information includes comparing the machine readable information with information in a database, the database maintaining State identification card formatting information for at least twenty-five States of the United States of America.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically parsing customer address information from the retrieved machine readable information;

wherein the electronically generated quasi-cash document information includes the electronically parsed customer address information such that the printed quasi-cash document includes the customer address.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically parsing customer identification card number information from the retrieved machine readable information;

wherein the electronically generated quasi-cash document information includes the electronically parsed customer identification card number.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the State identification card is a driver license.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the quasi-cash document is selected from the group consisting of a check and a money order.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to printing the quasi-cash document, visually displaying the generated quasi-cash document information; and

manually confirming that the generated quasi-cash document information is correct.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine readable information is stored on the State identification card by a storage means selected from the group consisting of magnetic stripe, integrated circuit, finger imaging, optical memory, bar code, and digital image.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed within a casino.

21. A system for performing a quasi-cash transaction for a customer, the system comprising:

a card reader adapted to read and decode machine readable information stored on a State identification card issued to the customer;

a processor electrically connected to the card reader and adapted to;

receive information from the customer relating to a desired transaction dollar amount,

receive the machine readable information retrieved by the card reader,

parse customer identification information from the received machine readable information,

generate quasi-cash document information utilizing the desired dollar amount and at least a portion of the parsed customer identification information; and

a printer electrically connected to the processor and adapted to print a quasi-cash document based upon the quasi-cash document information generated by the processor.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine a format of the machine readable information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the machine readable information is stored on the State identification card in a plurality of tracks, including a first track having a first track data stream, and further wherein the processor is further adapted to:

extract a state code identifier from the first track data stream; and

designate a format of the machine readable information based upon the extracted state code identifier.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor includes a database maintaining a listing of state code identifiers and associated formatting information, and further wherein the processor is further adapted to:

match the extracted state code identifier with a state code identifier in the database; and

designate the format associated with the matched state code identifier in the database as the machine readable information format.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the machine readable information is stored on the State identification card in a plurality of tracks including a first track having a first track data stream, and further wherein the processor is further adapted to:

identify positions of sentinels and delimiters in the first track data stream;

compare the identified sentinel and delimiter positions with the determined format; and

identify customer name information in the first track data stream based upon the comparison.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

identify propering order of name components in the first track data stream based upon the comparison.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor is further adapted to identify ordering of first, middle, and last name components in the first track data stream.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

parse customer address information from the received machine readable information; and

generate the quasi-cash document information to include the parsed customer address.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

parse customer identification card number from the received machine readable information; and

generate the quasi-cash document information to include the parsed customer identification card number.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the quasi-cash document is selected from the group consisting of a check and a money order.

31. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a display electrically connected to the processor for visually displaying the generated quasi-cash document information.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the card reader is adapted to read and decode machine readable information stored in a manner selected from the group consisting of magnetic stripe, integrated circuit, finger imaging, optical memory, bar code, and digital image.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving information from a second customer relating to a second desired transaction dollar amount of a second transaction;

electronically processing a second State identification card issued to the second customer to retrieve machine readable information, wherein the machine readable information of the second State identification card includes an identification formatting differing from that of the first State identification card;

electronically parsing second customer identification information from the machine readable information of the second State identification card;

electronically generating second quasi-cash document information utilizing the second desired transaction amount and at least a portion of the parsed second customer identification information; and

printing a second quasi-cash document that displays the generated second quasi-cash document information.

33. A method of performing a quasi-cash transaction for a customer in a casino, the method comprising:

receiving information from the customer relating to a desired transaction dollar amount;

delivering a State identification card, issued to the customer, from the customer to a casino designee;

operating a card reader to retrieve machine readable information stored on a State identification card, wherein the casino designee performs the step of operating the card reader;

electronically parsing customer identification information from the retrieved machine readable information;

electronically generating quasi-cash document information utilizing the desired dollar amount and at least a portion of the electronically parsed customer identification information;

printing a quasi-cash document that displays the generated quasi-cash document information; and

delivering the quasi-cash document to the customer, wherein the casino designee performs the step of delivering the document.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

a) executing the printed quasi-cash document by the customer; and

b) exchanging the executed quasi-cash document for a negotiable instrument.